Today, the 22nd of September 2006, is the last day of the Grumman F-14 Tomcat.
After more than 30 years of good and active service, it is being retired by the US Navy. There are many (ex-)pilots and military people who are still fond of the F-14 and some of them have even created a farewell website.
I can say that the F-14 has had a major influence on people of my age. Have a look at the discussion on Slashdot for proof. I have so many good memories of the F-14. It was so impressive. When I was a kid, my dream was to become an F-14 pilot. With my cousin Aman, we improvised dogfights in the backyard mimicking the US pilots against Russians with their Migs and Sukhois. It was fun!
The defining moment was 1986 when the fantastic Top Gun film by Tony Scott featuring Tom Cruise and (aha!) Kelly McGillis was released. It immediately became my favourite film and, in fact, still is (just don’t tell Christina…)
Like all kids at that time, I wanted to become like Tom Cruise and have a girl friend like Kelly. I have not been successful with the Tom Cruise part but I think I’ve managed to get a girl friend (who is my wife now) as fantastic as Kelly McGillis was (n’est ce pas Christina?)
Thanks for everything F-14!
Charlie: Excuse me, Lieutenant. Is there something wrong?
Maverick: Yes ma’am, the data on the MiG is inaccurate.
Charlie: How’s that, Lieutenant?
Maverick: Well, I just happened to see a MiG 28 do a…
Goose: We!
Maverick: Uh, sorry Goose. WE happened to see a MiG 28 do a 4g negative dive.
Charlie: Where did you see this?
Maverick: Uh, that’s classified.
Charlie: It’s what?
Maverick: It’s classified. I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.
Popularity: 24% [?]
September 22nd, 2006 at 20:28
MiGs own! During this year’s Farnborough airshow, I saw the MiG-29 in action. That thing can hang in mid air, drop like a stone and resume course!
http://www-us.flickr.com/photos/hittischolz/205630114/
But yeah, I liked watching Top Gun and virtually flew the F-14 a few times myself
September 22nd, 2006 at 21:54
Top Gun for sure is a nice film
I like it a lot too.
But, there’s better than that
Top Gun’s parody: Hot Shot 1 and 2, these 2 ahve to be the best parody movies i’ve watched till now, constant laughter from beginning to the start. 
September 22nd, 2006 at 23:39
How many times too have tears filled my eyes while singing Take My Breath Away endlessly and swinging my lighter in the air. We should start a Top Gun fan club! ;p
Exit the Falcon, in cometh the Raptor.
September 23rd, 2006 at 07:02
Falcon = F-16…
September 23rd, 2006 at 08:17
hmmm machines that can drop bombs on innocent civilians..
But dogfights are cool ain’t it, in games atmost.
September 23rd, 2006 at 10:17
Damn. I don’t sing that Top Gun song as often as I should. Else I wouldn’t have confused the plane. :d
So it’s Tomcat.
September 23rd, 2006 at 13:19
Kailash,
When politicians decide to start a war (i.e. in Irak) for very questionable reasons (i.e. in contradiction with what al-Baradei found there) and innocents are killed, I tend to blame the politicians instead of the military.
F-14 and (even) soldiers are just “tools” in the hands of politicians. And we all know that the latter sometimes have vested interests…
September 24th, 2006 at 22:44
F 14 F 16
Memories of a visit I made donkey years ago at the miltary airfield in the Philipines where I had the chance of touching one of them and seeing the pilots flying them…. Come back to me my flying days in a ULM over the scenery of Philippine and in particular Mount Pinatubo after its ash eruption….Wow the good old days
September 26th, 2006 at 05:24
I think I’ve built around three 1/72 scale models of the F-14 since I was a kid. I love that plane. The Su-27 and derivatives are beautiful as well. I still have an unbuilt F-14 model plane that I keep around for when I have too much time.
September 26th, 2006 at 07:54
Hi Shane,
Funny you say that because it’s the same for me. When I was a kid, I built (if I still remember): a F-104 Starfighter, a F-86 Sabre, a BAC Lightning among others.
I bought a model Concorde in 1997 and I still haven’t built it! I’ll wait for my kids to become bigger. I’m sure they’ll love assembling it.
October 14th, 2006 at 07:48
Did any of u guys watch “Les Chevaliers du ciel”? i think the english working title is Sky fighters, it a french production, and according to some comments, the tagline say “Top gun for a new generation”, and other might say better than top gun..
well, i wouldnt argue that it is better than top gun, coz i know some of u grew up with top gun, bt surely, do watch this film, i personally didnt find the storyline that impressive, bt ya, the action sequences picture are imho one of the best, of course, being a french production, it involves Mirage 2000s, and i guess some of u might more fond of Uncle Sam’s fighters..
bt definitely, this film is worth watching..and till now, every1 who has watched it asked me if i had a flight simulatorthat i could give them..even i looked for a flight simulator, bt didnt get any better, Microsoft Combat flight simulator is too expensive for me,(and so are the others..) so i ended up with my old F22 Lightning of Novalogic..
Anyways, those of u who havent watched it, do watch it, and let me know wht u think abt it..i think i watched the opening dogfight sequence more than 50 times, Mirage v/s Mirage..this sequence was pretty breath taking..
May 26th, 2007 at 05:19
hello amigos para mi pucha q,e sta es la mas locasa y balla q, la pelicula esta pero revien como quisira ser un aviador pero ellos ya nasen para volar valla q, realiodad…….byeeeeeee
June 20th, 2007 at 02:18
I flew the tomcat for about 7 years,in the gulf,Over seas,there is nothing more exciting then leaving the carrier,with full afterburners
July 15th, 2007 at 19:35
I like watching top gun every time i love this film il like retrun to live in 1986, because il this time i have only 10 years old… in french, je n ai jmais aimer un film comme celui la,i want have yuo opinion on this film, write me on email, tomcat_back sur yahoo.fr
December 25th, 2007 at 09:18
TOP GUN is pure Rock MAN!
I really love that film ! It´s my favorite ACTION-MOVIE.
There are so many good memories.
December 31st, 2007 at 20:01
as you can tell that’s where i got my web name bye bye F-14
January 19th, 2008 at 05:06
I watched Top Gun when I was younger. It inspired me to become a pilot and make a career of flying. I began with Cessnas, and now fly the F-18 Super Hornet. Any kid that wants some inspiration to become a naval aviator should have a look at this film!
April 10th, 2008 at 17:32
i really like the movie it motivates me tojoin airforce
April 11th, 2008 at 06:48
I’m glad to see that real pilots read my blog
September 16th, 2008 at 19:20
umm i don’t want to be a party pooper but Eddy Young the russian aircraft in TOP gun were not migs……..look at the airplane alot closer
September 16th, 2008 at 19:33
Yeah. They were only Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II fighters if I remember correctly…
Interestingly, the Tigers featured as fictional MiG-28 fighters which never existed.
March 19th, 2009 at 05:27
Well i just came onto this site actually looking for pictures of my most favourite fighter plane and i instantly fell in love lol. I was also a big one the Movie Top Gun though i was very little when the movie came out (I was 2) but my father watched it alot and my great uncles and grandfather were in the military (mind you it was the airforce) so flying is in my blood and i’ve been addicted to it ever since! When i had been a young kid who was still really into Top Gun i joined the air cadets (for those of you who might be canadain) and worked to recieve my wings.
It might not of been a 14-Tom Cat but when i was up in the sky i felt like it might as well of been one! When i got alittle older i went and got my pilots liecence and enjoyed it for some time. Sadly with the times so rough i only had it for a short period of time (1 year) before it became alittle expencive for me. I miss it but am always happy to see others who are like minded about flying not to mention about the movie Top Gun and my all time favourite fighter plane ever , The F-14 Tom Cat. I’ll miss it being retired but will always dream about getting a chance to climb inside one and fly away into the sunset!
Thanks for this opertunity to write in such a cool site!
Dominic Wolf
March 19th, 2009 at 20:48
Thanks Dominic for your comment. It’s always interesting to have the perspective of a real pilot. Do you still fly now?
March 19th, 2009 at 22:50
Sadly no it’s been a couple years since i have been able to be behind the stick but as i work on improving my life i intend to get back into it as i miss feeling the freedom the sky brings!
March 19th, 2009 at 23:14
Good luck to you!